Buta's Dalit salvo stirs hornet's nest

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman is accused of removing Dalit officials from posts.

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Dalip Singh

New Delhi

February 22, 2010

UPDATED: February 22, 2010 09:53 IST

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairman, Buta Singh, is allegedly running roughshod over Dalit officials in the commission. The latest person to be in his line of fire is Joint Secretary T. Theethan.

Theethan joins a list of more than half-a-dozen Dalit officials whom Singh has allegedly removed from their posts in an arbitrary way. Buta Singh, however, was not available to comment on the allegations.

On January 12, a memorandum was issued to Theethan by NCSC undersecretary (administration) Lokhan Marandi stating he was "surrendered to the ministry of social justice and empowerment with immediate effect".

Marandi wrote that the order was issued with the approval of the "competent authority" (read Singh). On February 1, Theethan and his private secretary found their office chambers in the Dalit commission's office on the fifth floor of Lok Nayak Bhawan in Khan Market locked.

Sources said the office chambers were opened only after Theethan wrote a letter to Marandi expressing consternation over the 'lockout'. Further, the commission has withheld Theethan's salary for the past month. However, Singh's attempt to remove Theethan, a senior Indian Audit and Accounts Services (IAAS) official with an unblemished career, has come in for stiff resistance from the ministry for social justice and empowerment. The ministry refused to accept Theethan's transfer and has asked him to stay put. It is learnt that the ministry has written to the NCSC questioning Singh's decision.

"How can Singh remove Theethan without the consent of the appointments committee of cabinet (ACC), which posted him as the NCSC joint secretary?" an official said.

Nevertheless, Singh is in no mood to relent. On February 2, he made another botched attempt to force the joint secretary out.

Undersecretary Marandi issued a "corrigendum" on the transfer order to Theethan stating he was surrendered to the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions with immediate effect. But the personnel ministry, too, refused to accept the NCSC's order.

Now, although Theethan - who doubles as the chief vigilance officer - remains in the NCSC, he is denied access to official files.

Sources said Singh grew to dislike Theethan after the latter said members of the commission and other staff should take administrative and financial approvals before they went on official tours.

Theethan's removal has left the commission without senior bureaucrats.

Therefore, Singh has tasked the NCSC vice-chairman, who is of the rank of a minister of state, to handle important matters. Theethan refused to comment on the issue terming it "an internal matter". And Singh was not available for comment.

Among other Dalits who have faced Singh's ire is Raghubir Singh, another senior IAAS officer. He was removed from the post of secretary, just a few months after he took charge in February 2008. Raghubir retired from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, his parent organisation, after removal from the NCSC. Some other Dalit officials who have become Singh's targets include: deputy director K. D. Bhansor, private secretary K. L. Dhanak and commission member Satya Bahin.

Bahin has written to the ministry of social justice and empowerment against Singh's alleged vindictive and autocratic style of functioning.

She wrote that Singh, in connivance with other commission members, illegally surrendered many officials and prevented them from joining duty.

Sources said she has also listed 10 officials who were transferred since Singh took charge of the NCSC in May 2007. Singh's three-year term ends this May.